The subject invention pertains in general to devices that are used to automatically or semi-automatically install or remove railroad ties in a railroad bed. Such devices are generally deployed in a manner that function in the tie removal process to maintain railroad beds so as to minimize the manual labor input in such process. In this regard, it is to be noted that the upkeep of a railroad bed requires constant attention and maintenance. In many cases, the ties on a road bed must be replaced periodically in order to maintain the integrity of the road bed, and as stated, constant attention can be expensive with manual labor or other costs often proving burdensome.
As a result of this latter aspect, there have been many machines developed for the railroad industry that have aided in the process of automatically or semi-automatically removing railroad ties from a railroad bed. Such machines have yielded limited efficiency. Indeed, there are a number of machines used for this particular purpose. However, the known or existing machines used for this purpose have been, in many cases, not sufficient to perform properly and consistently for the tie replacement process with the desired efficiency and flexibility.
In view of the relative problems and shortcomings in relevant prior art, the subject invention has been conceived as an apparatus and processed as an improvement to facilitate, at minimal labor, the process of removing ties from a railroad bed. The following objects of the subject invention are set forth accordingly.